Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Studies (Online)

The Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Studies (IS) Program is an option for Rivier University Online students for whom no traditional program of study is satisfactory. In consultation with the Enrollment Coach, the student will be advised whether this program will satisfy and support their academic and career goals. When registering for courses, the student will be guided through selecting 10-12 courses that will constitute a Concentration of Study by their Success Coach. In addition, the student will also select the appropriate Core, General Education, and Elective courses for degree completion.

An Individualized Studies major may be appropriate if:

• The desired Concentration of Study is comprised of courses selected from the different majors offered by Rivier University Online. Those majors are:
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Public Health

Interdisciplinary concentrations are also available and can be developed in consultation with and approval by the student’s academic advisor.  

• The student has a significant number of transfer credits earned at other institutions which cannot be applied to any particular major without a substantial loss of transfer credits.
• The student has a particular and/or well-defined professional focus, based upon previous academic or professional experience. An example would be a computer programmer who selects business courses in accounting, marketing, and small business management to prepare for a successful consulting practice.
• The student has earned significant credits and possibly an Associate’s Degree at another institution and is re-tooling for a different career path, needing to take specialization courses in order to complete a degree.

The following requirements must be completed to be awarded the Individualized Studies degree:

• Meeting the Core and General Education requirements of the IS program
• Completing at least 30 semester hours (10 courses or more) of credit in upper-level coursework numbered 300 or higher
• Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) and Challenge Exam credit must be discussed prior to the development of the IS education plan
• Standardized tests, such as CLEP, credits earned through the American Council on Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services (ACE Guide), DSST (Defense Subject Standardized Tests) and the National CCRS (College Credit Recommendation Service) must be evaluated to be considered sources of transfer credit
• The final 30 semester hours of credits of the IS program must be completed at Rivier University Online.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the degree in Individualized Studies should be able to:

• Assimilate, appreciate, and apply the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching to serve others and to improve the human condition;
• Develop a capacity for independent thought; the ability to express oneself clearly and coherently both orally and in writing;
• Demonstrate foundational concepts, methodology, and be familiar with the content of a wide range of disciplines in the arts, humanities and the natural and social sciences;
• Read, understand, and interpret classical and current literature and history, including the history of ideas, as a backdrop for an understanding of contemporary life and society;
• Establish a basis for lifelong learning along the various dimensions constituting our shared humanity - intellectual, spiritual, moral, and aesthetic;
• Understand and relate to issues of contemporary concern in order to be an informed and engaged participant in society and adaptable to changing patterns for life and occupation;
• Conduct a literature review to develop and test a research question that could contribute to the body of knowledge to improve the human condition.